Grand officers to assist Byron Native Sons in school dedication: A busy week is ahead for the Byron parlor, Native Sons of the Golden West. Dedication of the Byron Elementary School building Sunday will be followed by the first 1951 meeting of the parlor Monday evening, and a joint installation with Donner parlor, NDGW, Wednesday evening.

Grand officer will be presented and take part in ceremonies of the school dedication staring at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon. The dedication will be by the parlor members, with Enrico Lembi in general charge of arrangements.

The high school band and choral group will supply the music.

Monday evening’s parlor meeting will honor Nick Papadakas and Jim Stornetta, both of whom are leaving next week to enter the armed services. Nick was elected trustee, and his place will be taken by a proxy at the joint installation on Wednesday evening.

25 years ago

Threat of lawsuit sparks talk of state parks workshop: Threats of suits against the state, demands the levee repair be a part of Franks Tract general plan, and accusations that Bethel Island is asking the state to repair its levees sparked much of a state arks workshop in Brentwood.

The State Department of Parks and Recreation has owned Franks Tract and Little Franks Tract recreation areas (both across from Bethel Island), for more than 50 years, but has refused to accept liability for repair or damaged levees.

State refusal to repair Franks Tract levees, damaged more than 30 years ago, and Little Franks Tract levees damaged in the 1980-81 winter storms, led to the flooding of Holland Tract in 1980 and endangers not only Bethel Island but Holland and Webb tracts, and Mandeville Island and Quimby islands.

“If the state doesn’t want to repair Little Franks Tract levees because it in not cost-effective, it should consider letting some private party take over so they will repair the levee,” said Ted Halsey, a lifelong Jersey Island resident. Halsy said what happens to one Delta Island has a “domino effect” on the others islands and their levees.

— Brentwood New files

“There will be more lawsuits than the state wants to see if Bethel Island levees break due to pounding of waves from Franks Tract,” said Bethel Island Municipal Improvement District Chairman Howard Holmes.

More in News

As social media companies wrestle with how to police dangerous health misinformation on their platforms, Pinterest has taken an extreme approach: blocking search results related to vaccinations, whether the results are medically accurate or not.